In the News

Lelland Reed, India Burchell, & Emily Meikle

Kathleen Parlow: A Life In Letters – The Development of a Framework for Correspondence Collections at the University of Toronto Music LibraryLelland Reed
This paper aims to discuss the process undertaken in arranging and describing the correspondence collection within the Kathleen Parlow Collection. The progression of the project has exposed a number of questions concerning the nature of letters and the application of standardized metadata. This project builds upon the original work of University of Toronto Librarians Suzanne Meyers Sawa, James Mason, and Houman Behzadi who have presented on the lost and found Johan Halvorsen concerto. This paper has a distinct focus on the framework used to arrange and describe the correspondence collection; this framework will be used for future correspondence digitization projects at the UofT Music Library. The ultimate goal of this presentation is to provide helpful points of discussion for those working with similar correspondence archives in libraries.

How can the ethics of museum deaccessioning policies be applied to live objects?India Burchell
My presentation will look at the ethics of deaccessioning policies and ask how they should be applied to live objects. After giving a historical overview of museum deaccessioning policies and looking at how policies vary between different countries, I will use cases from other Zoological institutions and the recent Seaworld debate to argue that there are different ethical questions associated with the disposal of live objects. I will conclude by asking how the ethics concerning the disposal of live objects contributes to our understanding of deaccessioning.

Artifacts on Air: Remote Access and Collaboration in Indigenous Archaeological Collections Emily MeikleThis project will explore if and how radio can be used to promote remote access to indigenous archaeological collections for members of traditionally oral cultures in Ontario, with particular attention to how aboriginal media techniques can help to inform museum interpretation. With increasing globalization, museums can now reach audiences who may never enter the museum’s physical space. This is especially important for First Nations with a strong cultural interest in museum collections they are often unable to visit. How then, can we interpret indigenous objects in a culturally coherent manner without a physical encounter?